The Royal Ballet School marked its centenary without the one guest it had every reason to expect — its patron, the king.
King Charles, 77, is due to begin a nine-day Caribbean tour on Oct. 27, a trip that comes with royal insiders already asking questions about his upcoming engagements after he missed both nights of the school’s 100th-anniversary celebrations, held Thursday, Oct. 8, and Friday, Oct. 9.
The school counts the king as its official patron, and organizers had expected him on the guest list. No explanation has followed, and Buckingham Palace has stayed silent on the matter. The unease that followed the missed appearances turned quickly to the monarch’s health.
A report on the missed appearances ran under the headline “London society frets as King Charles skips major high-culture event.”
Charles was diagnosed with a form of cancer, Buckingham Palace announced on Feb. 5, 2024, a finding that came after a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. The king himself revealed in December 2025 that his cancer treatment would be scaled back in 2026.
“His Majesty has responded exceptionally well to treatment, and his doctors advise that ongoing measures will now move into a precautionary phase,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said at the time of that disclosure. The spokesperson added: “This position will be continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritize his continued recovery.”
Lady Sarah Chatto Took His Place
Standing in for the royal family at the back-to-back events was Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of Princess Margaret and president of both the Royal Ballet School and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Former Prime Minister Sir John Major was there with her, as were figures from the ballet and art worlds.
Guests on Thursday attended a reception paired with a performance at the Royal Opera House in London. A black-tie gala dinner followed on Friday.
Stand-Ins Named for a Lighter Diary
London society was unsettled by the absence, and royal insiders raised questions about what comes next on the king’s calendar. Engagements he committed to months ago are reportedly being rearranged, with Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate and other royals named as stand-ins.
Unnamed sources have talked of a “lighter royal diary” for the monarch. Buckingham Palace has not been cited as confirming any reduction of his engagements. Kate has been making a gradual return to public engagements after preventative chemotherapy.
Protesters Met Him in Cardiff
The king’s 2026 schedule has not been a light one. He made official trips to Washington, D.C., and Bermuda in late April and early May, and he attended the Zoological Society of London’s 200th anniversary on July 9. He opened a new session of the Welsh parliament in Cardiff on Thursday, Oct. 15.
Protesters at the Senedd met him and Camilla with chants of “Not my King!” and “Down, down, down with the Crown.” Their signs read “Abolish the monarchy” and “Down with the Crown.”
Charles hosted Sultan Haitham bin Tarik at Windsor Castle days later, with a state banquet in St George’s Hall on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 20. The castle served as the venue because Buckingham Palace is undergoing renovations. The visit was the first by an Omani ruler to the U.K. in more than four decades; Sultan Qaboos bin Said made the last one in March 1982.
The king, Queen Camilla and Prince William marked the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster in Wales on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Charles laid a wreath and met survivors and bereaved families. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua, running from Nov. 1 to Nov. 4, is expected to draw him and Camilla next.
A Patronage Once Held by Elizabeth
Dame Ninette de Valois founded the school in 1926 as the Academy of Choreographic Art, training dancers for the Vic-Wells Ballet, the forerunner of today’s Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet. The reigning monarch has been its patron since 1956, the year of the school’s Royal Charter.
Princess Margaret’s death opened the presidency to Charles, then the Prince of Wales, and the role became his in 2003. Students performed for him at Buckingham Palace in 2012, then danced again at a Royal Opera House performance held in honor of his 70th birthday. On June 3, 2024, the school announced that he had accepted the patronage once held by Queen Elizabeth II.
Anna Birkett, the interim chairman, said the school valued its “continued close association ahead of the School’s historic centenary in 2026.”
Four Stars for the Centenary Gala
The Royal Ballet opened its autumn season at the Royal Opera House with a short run of gala performances honoring the school. Students danced alongside company dancers in the opener, a suite from de Valois’ “Checkmate,” followed by Frederick Ashton’s “Birthday Offering,” the Black Swan pas de deux from “Swan Lake” and the bedroom pas de deux from “Manon.”
Lauren Cuthbertson and Lukas B. Brændsrød danced the world premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s “Beautiful Shadow,” in costumes by Erdem Moralioglu. Cathy Marston’s “Night Falling” was another premiere on the bill. Marianela Nuñez, Anna Rose O’Sullivan and Yasmine Naghdi took to the stage as well, and the closing finale, choreographed by Valentino Zucchetti, put students on stage with dancers from both companies.
Dance critic Joy Sable awarded the evening four stars in her review, which appeared Oct. 9. “I hope Dame Ninette was looking down from above,” she wrote.
